About us

What is DCAF?

For more than fifteen years DCAF has facilitated security sector reform programming in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) is dedicated to making states and people safer. Good security sector governance, based on the rule of law and respect for human rights, is the very basis of development and security. DCAF assists partner states in developing laws, institutions, policies and practices to improve the governance of their security sector through inclusive and participatory reforms based on international norms and good practices.

DCAF also advises governments and international organisations in designing and implementing their own programmes for supporting states in developing their security sector governance. DCAF creates innovative knowledge products, promotes norms and good practices, and provides legal and policy advice. DCAF supports capacity building of state, civil society and private sector stakeholders through providing access to independent expertise and information on security sector governance (SSG) and reform (SSR).

DCAF’s Foundation Council comprises 62 member states, the Canton of Geneva and six permanent observers. With operational activities in over 70 countries, DCAF is internationally recognised as one of the world’s leading centres of excellence for security sector governance and security sector reform. Headquartered at the Maison de la Paix in Geneva, DCAF also has field offices in Beirut, Brussels, Ljubljana, Ramallah,Tripoli and Tunis. DCAF employs more than 170 staff with a broad range of expertise, from over 40 countries. In all its activities, DCAF is guided by the principles of impartiality, local ownership, inclusive participation and gender equality.

mission and values

DCAF is guided by the principles of impartiality, local ownership, people-centred support and gender equality.

DCAF is devoted to making states and people safer, within a framework of democratic governance, the rule of law and respect for human rights.

DCAF works towards this ultimate objective by assisting partner states, and international actors supporting these states, to improve the governance of their security sector through inclusive and participatory reforms based on international norms and best practices, and in response to specific local contexts and challenges.

Neutrality

Impartiality

Gender equality

Local ownership

Member States

DCAF’s Foundation Council comprises 62 member states, the Canton of Geneva and six permanent observers. Regional and multilateral partners, including the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the OSCE, the OECD, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, are also represented on various subsidiary bodies of the Foundation Council.

ALBANIA

(2000)

ARGENTINA

(2009)

ARMENIA

(2002)

AUSTRIA

(2000)

AZERBAIJIAN

(2002)

BELARUS

(2002)

BELGIUM

(2004)

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

(2001)

BULGARIA

(2000)

BURKINA FASO

(2009)

BURUNDI

(2010)

CANADA

(2003)

CÔTE D'IVOIRE

(2001)

CROATIA

(2001)

CYPRUS

(2008)

CZECH REPUBLIC

(2000)

DENMARK

(2002)

ESTONIA

(2000)

FINLAND

(2000)

FRANCE

(2000)

GENEVA

(2002)

GEORGIA

(2001)

GERMANY

(2000)

GHANA

(2011)

GREECE

(2002)

HUNGARY

2000

INDONESIA

2007

IRELAND

2000

ITALY

2001

KYRGYZSTAN

2011

LATVIA

2000

LEBANON

2007

LIECHTENSTEIN

2006

LITHUANIA

2000

LUXEMBOURG

2003

MACEDONIA (Republic of)

2000

MADAGASCAR

2015

MALI

2011

MALTA

2008

MOLDOVA

2002

MONGOLIA

2014

MONTENEGRO

2006

NETHERLANDS

2001

NIGERIA

2000

NORWAY

2002

PHILIPPINES

2011

POLAND

2000

PORTUGAL

(2003)

ROMANIA

2000

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

2000

SENEGAL

2011

SERBIA

2001

SLOVAK REPUBLIC

2001

SLOVENIA

2001

SOUTH AFRICA

2001

SPAIN

2001

SWEDEN

2001

SWITZERLAND

2000

TUNISIA

2011

TURKEY

2003

UKRAINE

2000

UNITED KINGDOM

2000

UNITED STATES

2000

DCAF Governance

DCAF's governance arrangements include a Foundation Council comprising the nominated representatives of DCAF's Member States and an International Advisory Board of international development, rule of law and security professionals.

The Foundation Council is the supreme body of the DCAF Foundation and comprises 63 member states including the canton of Geneva.

The Bureau of the Foundation Council makes policy decisions in between formal sessions of the Foundation Council.

All of the internationally supported foundations established by the Swiss Confederation between 1995 and 2000 – the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and the Geneva Centre for International Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), as well as DCAF – are strategic partners of the Swiss government and are accommodated together in the ‘Maison de la Paix’.

Along with its sister centres GICHD and GCSP, DCAF is also managed by a multi-department steering committee in Bern.

Any nation with a demonstrable commitment to the democratic governance of the security sector is most welcome to join DCAF's governing board.

By joining, nations do not automatically commit themselves to support DCAF financially: however, they are offered opportunities to influence and shape DCAF’s programming priorities not only at national, but also at regional and international levels.